Made in America...us and the gifts we give.

Every time you turn on the news you hear about the economy, how it's difficult for everyone and how many are without jobs. It's true, it's horrible, and I believe that it is getting better, slowly. So, now how could we possibly help out our fellow Americans? Unless you're willing to join the military, THANKS NATE!, then...maybe, just maybe you could try to buy American made goods! I was made here, shouldn't the things in my life be made here as well?!

 

Now that Christmas is over I can let you in our our little secret. Sophie Jean's adopted Dad and I made a vow to only give gifts Made in America! GO USA! And I'm VERY happy to report that we did extremely well!

 

Here are some of the items we gave to our loved ones this year -

 

Turvis Tumblers 

 

These bad boys are made in North Venice, Flordia and have been since the 1950's. They really do keep your cold drinks, cold, and your hot drinks, hot. AMAZING. If you're a sports fan they probably have your favorite team logo, or a pretty design that will strike your fancy. They are sold online and at your nearest Bed, Bath, and Beyond store. Affordable and long lasting product!!

 

Photo Albums

 

Since we got married just a bit shy of two months ago, we wanted to give our parents and grandparents some photo prints of the big day. I searched and searched in the stores and could not fine ONE photo album that wasn't made in China. Shame, shame, shame. So, off to my trusty computer I went and located a number of companies that make their picture keepers here in the good ole US of A! I have to say the ones that we purchased were okay, but I wasn't super impressed with the quality. Still, we kept with our theme and I think they will hold up well. I will explore more options for my photo storage needs in the future.

 

Pens

(Forgot to get pictures of all six, but they are all awesome!)

 

One of Kenny's coworkers makes his own pens! Fantastic!!! They are very nice and extremely classy to boot. We were able to buy 6 pens in different styles for a very reasonable price. It's a gift not often given these days as we tend to type more than we write, ex: this blog. But, I enjoy a nice card or letter from time to time, there is something rather exciting about opening the mail box to a little treat that doesn't ask for money in return. Steve Bacho does his best to only use American products in his pens as well. They are crafted by hand in Montague, NJ and you can buy refills for them at your local office supply.

 

Yankee Candles

 

They smell yummy and you can buy them almost anywhere!  We were able to find some good deals on them in their special holiday scents for some lucky people!

 

 

Gift Cards

This one might be pushing it, but hey at least we're asking people to keep their locals busy! We purchased a few for various people to food joints, movie theaters and clothing stores.

 

Booze

 

It's the holidays and you need to keep warm, right?! We found a lot of liquor, beer, and wine made here in the United States to give to many people. It's a cute and practical gift to give those that enjoy a stiff drink or a nice glass after a long day at the office.

Burt's Bees

I'm a huge fan of the Burt's Bees myself, always have at least one tube of chapstick in my purse!  It works, it's natural, and it's made here in the USA.  No big deal.  It's a little more expensive than some of the other brands out there, but I totally think that it is worth the extra bones.

The Lazy Dog Cookie Co.

I was actually quite surprised to find a few options for our little Sophie Jean.  She was disappointed that we didn't find any toys made in the USA, but we did find these yummy treats that are made in New York!  Also, she got a treat mix from Target, we will make those very soon!! 

Cards

Did you know that a lot of greeting cards are made in America?! I had no clue! I was able to make a lunch time trip to the Dollar Tree just down the road from work and picked up all the holiday cards we could possibly need...at the low low price of well under $10! The Dollar Tree has a wide selection of cards for $1 each, or 2 for $1...made this lady very happy at the checkout! Next time you buy a card, quickly flip it over to make sure it's Made in the USA!

 

Homemade Treats

 

This was probably the most difficult thing on our list. We had to search around to find the ingredients that were MITUSA (sweet acronym, huh?). It was difficult for me, but we had to spend a little extra to get the good stuff. It was all for our Red, White, and Blue ONLY Christmas so I could live with the choices we had to make. I was able to give out some jars of Peppermint Cocoa Mix and Homemade Marshmallows!

 

 

Thanks to Stephanie and her blog for the easy to follow recipe!!

 

Happy 2012 to everyone!! Here is to a great year!!!